FDBusiness.com

Swiss confectionery group Lindt & Sprüngli has announced that Ernst Tanner, President & CEO, has decided to focus on the role as Executive Chairman by the end of 2016. At the same time the board of directors has appointed Dr Dieter Weisskopf, Group Chief Financial Officer, as new Group Chief Executive Officer.

Ernst Tanner comments: “I am proud of what the Management Team together with over 13,000 passionate and dedicated employees has achieved over the past 20 years and I am looking forward to a successful future. Thanks to our strong culture we have built a great foundation to further strengthen our position as the worldwide leading premium chocolate company. I am very pleased that I can hand over the CEO responsibilities to Dr Dieter Weisskopf, who will together with the Group Management and my support continue our success story.”

Lindt & Sprüngli is a global leader in the premium chocolate segment. The company operates 12 production sites in Europe and the USA. It products are distributed by 24 subsidiary companies and branch offices, and also via a comprehensive network of more than 100 independent distributors around the globe. With over 13,000 employees, the Lindt & Sprüngli reported sales worth SFr3.65 billion in 2015.